KEY POINTS:
Health Minister David Cunliffe has stepped into the controversy over patient safety at Grey Base Hospital.
Mr Cunliffe today asked the Director General of Health to report directly to him about allegations by a senior doctor that patient safety cannot be guaranteed at the West Coast's main hospital.
The claims were revealed on Monday and were to be raised in Parliament this afternoon.
West Coast District Health Board (WCDHB) chief executive Kevin Hague, who was confirmed as Green Party candidate on the day the allegations surfaced, yesterday acknowledged problems with the new surgery booking system and said top Middlemore Hospital doctor David Galler had been asked to investigate.
Mr Cunliffe said today he wanted a report from the Director General on progress in WCDHB's own inquiry.
However, he ruled out sacking the board and appointing a commissioner, as has happened in some other troubled DHBs.
Alleged safety problems came to light in a leaked letter from the joint head of the anaesthetics department, Dr Judy Forbes.
She claims a new booking system moved away from the theatre and surgeons, has resulted in patients being put on the wrong surgery list for the wrong procedure.
Dr Forbes said that, coupled with a "constant stream of locums", meant patient safety "could not be guaranteed".
Mr Cunliffe said Associate Health Minister and West Coast-Tasman MP Damien O'Connor had made him aware of the issues, and he had asked the Health Ministry to investigate.
"Accordingly, I understand that the chief medical adviser for the Ministry of Health, Dr David Galler, has already begun his own investigation into the matter. He has already been in contact with the interested parties and I expect a report in the near future."
Earlier today, Grey District Mayor Tony Kokshoorn called for the minister to get involved.
"The confidence of the public has been damaged and it's vital it's restored quickly," Mr Kokshoorn said.
"The country is running a big surplus but our health service seems to be deteriorating."
- NZPA
